Insert tab for license plates



Mara. 3,1942. 'y A. F1- Rul-r-m $274,744

INSERT TAB FOR LICENSEPLATES Filed NOV. 23, 1937 1.. l I I 12 INVENToR Allen E Ruff'li oRNEY' Patented Mar. 3, 1942 INSERT TAB FOR LICENSE PLATES Anon F. mann, Waterbury, conn., mmm' to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., 'a corporation of Connecticut Application November 23, 1937, Serial No. 176,027- 1s claims. {(Cl. 40-12t) -This invention relates to ymotor vehicle license plates, and to certain useful improvements in an inserttab indicating the current year to beused in combination with such plates.

In the spirit of economy, it is an object of this invention to provide a license plate which may be used for a' period of several years by motor vehicle registrants and which'may be revised yearly by simply changing an insert member or tab having the current year indicated thereon, this insert being made and distributed with the minimium of expense and effort.

A further object of this invention is to provide a license plate having raised or embossed indicia with painted surfaces to contrast with the plain surrounding area of the license plate and a similar raised panel which may be painted i in the same operation with the raised indicia to provide a background of a color contrasting that of the insert member or tab.

` A further object is to provide such a. raised panel having a surface slightly raised above that of the panel and forming'a border of the contrastin'g color for said insert.

A further object is to provide Van insert tab to be used' for such a, license plate, having an exposed surface with a roughened or patterned design and reecting qualities which severally contrast with the plain surrounding area of the license plate and which is designed with a view of producing a light reflective eect to the tab that will serve as a warning-signal at night-time, and clearly distinguish the numeral characters of the tab.

In order to assist in accentuating or magnifyt irig the identifying characteristics o f such tab or insert member, the tab being relatively small as compared to the license plate, it is the further purpose of this invention to produce a tab in such a manner as to render it readily distinguishable, and also to enhance the legibility of the year indication at night-time, as well as during the day, and at` a distance greater than would I obtain with an ordinary plain surface tab'.

With these and other objects in view the in' vention consists in the features of construction, combination of. elements, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed creo.' and moluonik tno tab. but omitting tiro color border as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. s is a vertical section through the' come taken `along the line 8,-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the tab, per se, and lined to indicate the color red'.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an insert tab, per se, hgwing a modified surfaced eilect given to the Fig. 6 is a long end view of the same tobetter show the surface contour on the tab.

Referring now to the'drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral III indicates.

a rectangular shaped license plate preferably made of metal and having its' peripheral edge formed with a reenforcing bead I l surroundings central nat neld'or surface I2. On this surfacey I2 may be embossed numerals and or letter in dicia I3 indicating the registrants alotted numberand also the abbreviation` Il of the state issuing the license.

In making provision to accommodate the insert tab I5, a portion of the area of the plate IB is raised above the normal plane thereof to approximately the same height as the indicia I3 in the form of a panel It. which in turn is preferably surrounded by a raised rib I1 integrally connecting the -tab panel l'with the flat surface I2 of the plate III and providing a border around.V the insert tab which is slightly raised to protect! the edges of said tab against the accidental catching of a member thereunder which would tend to raise said edges.

Piercings la are provided within the panel or.

platform I6 adjacent the bead Il to accommodate lugs I9 extending from the oppositev shorter edges of lthe tab I5 for the purpose of detachably ami!- ing the tabA I5 to the plate In.

Numerals 20 designating vtheyear the tab is issued are preferably sheared out of the tab stock in the manner of a stencil permitting the surface area of the panel or platform I 6 to show therethrough. v

The raised areas of the letters and numerals I3, the raised areas of the indicia I4',and the raised panel I6 togetherwith the surrounding slightly raised rib Il, are painted a contrasting 'color to the surface tleld of the plate.

As the painting .operation may be more economically performed by means of suitable re-- silient Arollers which contact only the raised surfacesl on the plate, the raising of the panel I6 to substantially the same height' as the other indicia on the plain plate, permits the applicasurface.

field I5 of the license plate I0, the top surface thereof is given a roughened or patterned ei'ect to mutilate in one form or another the otherwise smooth surface of said tab. In the preferred construction, and as has been deduced from extensive experimentation, it has been found that the best surface to give the greatest contrasting eect and other desirable results' is that of a pitted or hammered effect consisting of a series of closely adjoined concave depressions or pockets having somewhat a honeycomb appearance when viewed at right angles to the plane of the tab These series of hammered depressions naturally produce numerous uniformly distributed high and low light or shadowed and brightened surfaces as a result of any angular light impinging upon the tab surface. In the drawing these concave depressions are given the numeral 2| and in Fig. 2 where the light is illustrated as coming from the left, the left side area of each of the depressions are given a darkened effect by shadow lines, while the right surfaces therethrough are left plain to indicate a brightened surface, which field of numerous shadowed and brightened depressions when taken in its entirely creates a surprisingly contrasting effect with the adjacent plain surface of the license plate IIJ. y

While the above exemplification of the inven- Vtion suflices to produce the desired contrasting eflect between the tab and license plate it is the intention to change the color of the tab from year to year. This color for a given year also lwill assistdn detecting more readily the current validity of the license registration than does the change merely of the yearly indicated numerals provided in the tab. To this end in Fig. 4, I have illustrated the insert tab I5 as being colored red but instead of covering the surface with an ordinary type of paint or enamel ithas been the contrary shall preserve and enhance the surface characteristics so obtainedj and third, that it shall be resistant tothe eects of sun and weather, so as to retain through the lfull year ltion of a background color for the tab without prisingly brilliant reflective or signalling member for'a license plate. The anodizing operation on metal is common practice in the metallic industry, and forms no part of the present invention, except that it is believed thatl this is the first time that this operaion has been applied to a metal surface having a particular patterned effect for the purpose of creating a newresult,

namely a pronounced reflective characteristic.

It is to be understood that other colors also, aside from red, may be applied to the tab treated according to the above method resulting in producing substantially the same reflective effects.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a tab 22lhaving a modified form of surfaced effect. -In this case the top surface is formed with a series of angular shaped ribs 23 disposed transversely across the tab creating in effect a series of alternate longitudinal angular shadowed and brightened planes 2l and 25, which when taken in its entirety creates the desired contrasting effect. .The tab 22 may be treated in like manner to the preferred tab I5 to give it any desired colored effect.

While there is shown and described herein two pattern effects upon the top surface, it will be appreciated that the tab surface is susceptible ofv various other formations producing the desired contrasting results ofthe tab with the license plate. Furthermore, it is to be understood that there are other constructional features of the invention which may be varied as to mechanical details, arrangements of parts, etc. without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a license plate, .in combination, a plate having numeral indicia thereupon, a portion of said plate raised above the normal plane of said plate and surrounded by a still higher raised rib, and a tab member bearing the year date to be associated with said license plate adapted to be attached to said plate upon said raised portion, the exposed surface of said tab being roughened to give it a decided contrast with the plain surface of said plate. A

2. In alicense plate defined as by claim 1 wherein the roughened surface of said tab comprises av substantially uniformly hammered or pitted eect of a nature to produce numerous high and low lighted concavities.

3. In a license plate, in combination, a plate having numeral indicia formed and raised above the normal flat surface thereof, a separate rectangular panel similarly raised above the said surface and surrounded by a still higher raised rib which serves to integrally connect said panel lto said plate proper, said panel having piercings therethrough adjacent opposite edges, and a tab member bearing the yearly date to be associated with said license plate and having lugs for attachment to said panel through said piercings, the 'tab being made of the same material as said plate and having its surface provided with 'a patterned effect to give it a noticeable contrast with 'the normal plain surface of said plate.

4, In a license plate, in combination, a plate having numeral indicia and a rectangular portion raised above the normal flat surface of said plate, said portion having a color applied thereto in contrast to the plate surface, of a tab member of like material and color to said plate adapted to be detachably afi'red to said raised portion, said tab member having indicia pierced therethrough of the yearly date to be associated with said license plate and permitting the color field of said portion to show therethrough in the 5. In a license plate, in combination with-va 25 plate'having. upon it permanent indicia and a. separate space, the latter being definedby an .overlay of color in contrast to the flat surface of the plate, of a tab member having stenciled indicia pierced therethrough and adapted to be 10- detachably aillxed upon said space, the tab meml ber being of like material and color to said plate but having its surface roughened to contrast it' with surface of said plate.

.6. In a license plate according to claim 5 15 wherein the roughened surface of said tab is further definedas being formed of numerousl closely disposed concavities simulating a hammered effect which conduce to produce a eld ofL shadowed andbrightened surfaces of a reiiective'go nature.

7. In a license plate according to claim 5l wherein thesurface of .said tab is further dened as being formed of a series of relative small angular ribs extending acro'ss the face thereof 25 and presenting numerous opposed planes alternately shaded and brightened by any source of' light.

8. A tab member for detachable attachment to a license plate. comprising` a iiat, metal blank 30 pressed portion having pierced indicia therein having numerals indicating the year date to be associated with the permanent'indicia of said license plate, the exposed'surface of said blank being formed with numerous closely associated concavities simulating a hammered or pitted effect, the surface of the blank being oxidized and impregnated with a coloring agent. v

9. A tab member according to claim 8 wherein said coloring agent is a dye of a color which serves to 'enhance the reflective properties of o said blank and establish it as a warning signal of danger. i

10. A device of the. character described comprising a main plate having indicia on its face. a raised-panel having openings extending therel through, an auxiliaryl plate comprising a stencil defining indicia thereon and prongs on said auxiliary plate adapted to extend through said openings for securing the same on said panel.

l1. A device of the character described com- 5 prising a main plate having indicia and a raised panel on its face, the said panel having openings therein, an auxiliary plate-having indicia thereon. and means adapted to extend through said openings for securing the saidl auxiliary plate upon said panel; the said'auxiliary plate being smaller than the surface of said panel whereby the said surface will provide a border surround` ing said auxiliary plate.

12. In. combination with a main plate having w indicia and a slotted raised panel thereon, ."an

auxiliary plate having -stencil `openings in the form of indicia and prongsextending throughthe,v slots in said panel and bent against thek back of' saidMpanel for securing said auxiliary plate thereon. 4 13, The combination of amain plate having thereon comprising letters and figures designating the serial, number and State of a registration and a panel thereon; the -said letters,

numbers and panel having raised surfaces on a substantially equal plane above said main plate,

,a color medium'applied to said raised surfaces, a-

year number plate having perforations in the form of a number indicating the year of said registration mounted upon said panel and means comprising prongs on .said year number plate extending through openings on. said -panel and bent back upon the rear surface of said main plate for securing said year number plate there- Oni: y

14. .A vehicle license plate comprising a main plate having indicia. thereon, a raised panel formed out of the body portion of said plate and having a central depression therein, an auxiliary plate having indicia thereon fitted into said depression, said auxiliary plate and panel having cooperating attaching means. so constructed and .arranged lthat the auxiliary plate and panel can be assembled in but one rotational relation.

15. A device of the character described com- I prising a main plate having indicia thereon, a raised -panel formed out of the body portion of said plate having its central vportion depressed and thus defining a slightly raised frame thereabout, an auxiliary plate fitted into said deto allow the face of said depressed portion to show therethrough, and means to detachably secure said auxiliary plate in said depressed portion.

16. A device of the character described comprising a main plate having indicia and a raised .panel on its face, an 'auxiliary plate of a size smaller than said panel, means for securing said auxiliary plate centrally upon said panel and thus expose a substantially uniform panel border around said auxiliary plate, said latter plate having indicia pierced therein to permit the face portion of said panel to be exposed therethrough.

` 17.1In combination with a main plate having .g5-indicia and a slotted'raised panel thereon, an

' said latterplate can be assembledzto said main plate in tonly one position.

18. An automobile'registration tag comprising 5 a plate having a main background iield with raised indicia to indicate the licensees permit number reproduced in a color' contrasting with the background field of said'plate, a panel also raised from said=plate and being of a color -con-v trasting with the background 'ileld `of the-plate and a detachable year tab received on said panel having acolor contrasting with that on said panel, said year tab being soconstructed and y l arranged relatively tosaid panel as to expose portions of the panel, andmeans for detachably securing said year tab on said panel. 

